23rd London service numbers

[westkent78]

I recently started a project creating a roll of honour database of the 23rd London, and intend to expand it to a nominal roll at some point.

From elsewhere on the forum/website I've noted that in the 1917 re-numbering the 23rd received the block 700000 - 720000 for their service numbers.

Could someone with access to Wilkinson please let me know if he mentions further battalion blocks within this regimental grouping, and if so what the relevant number ranges are?

Thank you for any help forthcoming.

Matthew

[Paul Reed]

Hi Matthew - by 'Wilkinson' I presume you mean Howard Williamson's two volume work? You don't need to consult that for what you want; it's on the TF Study Group pages at:

http://www.tf.1914-1918.net/TF_renumbering_infantry.htm

[westkent78]

Hello Paul,

Yes, that was the author I was thinking of! I've corrected the title of the thread accordingly.

Thank you.

The link you kindly indicated shows battalion blocks such as 4th Blankshire, 5th Blankshire which will be helpful for this and some of my other research.

Does Williamson or any other list that you know of get down to the 1/4th Blankshire, 2/4th Blankshire level.

I'm hoping that men were allotted numbers based on the system below:

4th Blankshire 700000 - 720000 battalion block

1/4th Blankshire 700000 - 703000 sub battalion

2/4th Blankshire 703001 - 706000 sub battalion

3/4th Blankshire 706001 - 709000 sub battalion

Am I completely wrong? (invariably I am as my wife will attest to) Were numbers just allocated on a "first come" basis instead, so the numbers for 1/4th and 2/4th men were jumbled within the 4th block?

Regards

Matthew

[Paul Reed]

I think it worked on the basis that if you had a low pre-1917 TF, then you were allocated a low 6 figure number in the block accordingly. So I don't think there were 'sub-blocks' as such.

[westkent78]

Ah, well. That certainly makes sense.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Matthew

[Charles Fair]

Were numbers just allocated on a "first come" basis instead, so the numbers for 1/4th and 2/4th men were jumbled within the 4th block?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Matthew, That is certainly the case with the 19th Londons in my database, though there are of course plenty of exceptions. The 19th London block was 610001 to 629999. I have some prewar men who have been allocated numbers in the 613xxx range or higher.

Most of the numbers are in one continuous block from 610001 to 617xxx. However, there are two isolated blocks 625xxx and 627xxx. My hypothesis is that the main block consists of numbers that were alocated by the 19th London RHQ in Camden town. The two isloated blocks may have been numbers allocated to the base depots supporting the 47th and 60th divisions and were used to give to men who were being transferred into one of the two overseas bns of the 19th.

I went through the 23rd London rolls a couple of years ago looking for men who had also served in the 19th. I have about 10 plus a 19th London officer who was attached to the 1/23rd. Please email me and i will send you an extract from my database.

Good luck with the project

Charles

[westkent78]

Thank you very much Charles. I've sent you an email.

I'll let you know what I uncover as I delve deeper into the 23rd's block.

Regards,

Matthew

[Simon_Fielding]

Hi Matthew -

My wife's grandfather served with the 23rd Londons and was wounded in the battle of Festubert in 1915 - survived the war and died in 1990.

Let me know if you'd like more info.

Simon